Page 62 of Revealing Mark

“I don’t need help. You clearly need someone to help you.”

The barb hurt. He was reminding me how everyone viewed me. The incapable one who needed someone to watch out for her. Was that what made Mark look at me differently? Was there a part of me that made him want to protect me because he felt I wasn’t capable of doing it on my own?

“I didn’t ask for help. I’m trying to sort this whole thing out on my own, but I can’t because every time I try, you are there to burst in to try and save the day.”

“So, what? You want me to let you do this on your own?”'

“‘Let’ implies you have a choice about this, and you don’t.” I was frank with him.

He frowned. “We slept together.”

“So?” I shrugged. “That still doesn’t give you the right to dictate to me.”

“You’re being difficult, Tracy. Let me help you.”

There was a stubborn part of me that was going to fight tooth and nail to be able to show everyone, including him, that I could sort this out on my own.

“I told you, if you tell me your secrets I’ll tell you mine.” He looked irritated but I continued. “This is about trust. You want me to trust you but you’re not willing to trust me.”

“Stop playing games.” He rose, looking more agitated that I wasn’t going along with what he wanted.

“I’m not playing. This is my life and I need to make the right choice for myself.” I was being selfish on a level.

“Does this have anything to do with Jack?” he asked, grasping at straws. “Matthew went to see him but he said the last time he spoke to you was when you went around to his place to collect your equipment.”

I sighed. “This has nothing to do with him.” I checked my watch and it was getting late already.

“Look, I’m tired and I can do without this whole back and forth arguing that is likely to go on for a while yet.” I rubbed my temple, needing a hot bath and a good night’s sleep.

“I’m not leaving.” He folded his arms.

“If I agree to put a time limit on this, will that get you out of here?”

“What do you mean?” he asked, sounding intrigued by my proposition.

“Give me forty-eight hours and then I’ll tell you everything.”

He weighed it up with a thoughtful look. “No extensions.”

“No extension. Two days. That’s all I need.”

“You promise you won’t do anything stupid?”

“Like what?”

“Meeting strange men in hotel rooms or anywhere else.” He gave me a possessive look that did weird things to my stomach.

I nodded, knowing his mind was probably still going wild with thoughts of what I had been doing with Sebastian in my hotel room.

“And then you and I are going to have a talk.”

“About what?” I asked, finding myself looking at his lips. I forced my eyes higher to capture his gaze.

“About us.” The way he said it made a shiver race up my spine.

“Fine,” I agreed, not wanting to exert any strength I had into that yet.

First I had to sort this out and then, when it was over, I would deal with him. I didn’t want to think about everything that had been said. I didn’t have the emotional clarity to even consider what it meant.